Breaking out of hoop limitations is one of our favorite tricks.
Designs that can be used in more flexible ways let you create
something larger than your machine can do on its own -- for instance,
this
Ship and Waves design. By using the ship design as a
centerpiece, and repeating the light-stitching waves, you can create
a whole stitched seafaring scene on any surface you can hoop! We
used it to make this bright and cheery hoodie with merry waves
dancing across the bottom. I’ll show you how easy it is...

All you need to make your seafaring hoodie is:

Embroidery design(s) -- I used the
Ship and Waves in the largest size, but the beauty of this
design is that it'll make a big splash even with a smaller
embroidery area!

Hoodie (I know, who saw that coming?)

Sheer mesh cutaway stabilizer, such as Floriani No Show Mesh or
Sulky Soft 'n' Sheer (great for light designs on
apparel!)

I’ll be showing how to make a hoodie
specifically, but this scene technique can be used on anything, from
pillows to scarves and more.

So, first let's use
our templates to work out where things should go. It might seem tempting
to place the ship first, but what you want to do is really work out
where your bottom line of waves will be, and work up from there. I
wanted my waves to start just above the bottom seam of the hoodie, so I
placed one template there, to give me an idea of how many waves I would
need to repeat before I placed my ship.

In this case, I figured I’d do two waves and then the ship on top.
Once I had that worked out, I could then expand the waves on either side
as needed.

So, keeping your template in place for reference, hoop up your
first part of the hoodie with some sheer mesh cutaway stabilizer on
the back. Make sure it’s hooped up nice and snug, but don't stretch
or distort your hoodie.

Start stitching that
first line of waves!

Since these waves are two-toned, I decided I would blend the colors
like a rainbow with each stitching. You could stitch them all in the
same colors if you like, it just depends on what look you’re going for.

Once you have your first wave design stitched, use your template to
place the next on on top, slightly offset to one side. This will create
a more organic, natural overlap.

Stitch that second wave just overlapping the first. The great
thing about this “scene” is that perfect alignment is not necessary.
A little overlap will just look like natural, rolling waves.

Finally, use your ship
template to stitch your showcase piece. I lined this one up so it was
basically directly above my first wave design, so the waves created a
simple offset pattern that would be easy to repeat on the sides.

More eagle-eyed people will notice, after I placed the template, I
accidentally stitched the ship facing the opposite way! Oops. Oh well,
he can sail into the dawn instead of into the sunset. The flexibility of
the design meant that it didn’t really matter. Phew!

So, you’ve got your main event done... your ship sailing the high
seas. Now we just need a bit more seas...

All you have to do now
is repeat your waves design. In this case, my waves were three high, so
I repeated that pattern out from the first wave designs. Overlap them
just slightly to make it all look like one design.

Don’t worry too much about lining things up perfectly. Remember, that
slight misalignment, the organic nature of how you place your designs,
will all just look natural with those rolling waves!

As you continue your waves outward, you will eventually find
yourself wrapping around to the front. In the event that you start
to get close to your front pockets, you can just use a seam ripper
to open up and fold back that edge.

That way you can stitch your design so it starts to sneak into
your pocket, and you can close it back up after you’re done.

Once you have stitches
your waves all the way out and around your hoodie, pin your pocket back
in place and stitch it back onto your hoodie.

That’s it!

Lots of repetition eventually lends into a seamless scene of a
ship at sea, beautifully stitched across whatever you please.

The stitching is bold
and whimsical on a bright new hoodie, but light stitching enough to be
perfect for clothes. Even with a small hoop, you can create a big scene.

Of course, this can be used on anything, from bright pink hoodies
to elegant stitched decor, like this example used on a pillow.

Try it across the bottom of towels, scarves, skirts, bags, and
more.

Our digitizer Meg, with her already adorable pink hair, loved her
new bright pink hoodie. With a little patience and a flexible
design, you can create a "scene" on lots of projects. Go big and
bold and rock your embroidery skills with pride. People will wonder
how on earth you made it yourself!